Thursday 7 June 2012

Malacca day trip


I'd seen enough of KL now so took the chance to travel south for a couple of hours to the town of Malacca, a UNESCO site famous for it's old colonial architecture, history and Chinatown.

Malacca was one of the first cities where colonialist settled (first the Portuguese, then the Dutch, then the British) but Indian and Chinese traders had been living there for hundreds of years before. As a result some of the first Chinese temples and Christian Churches in Malaysia are in Malacca.

For more on the history of Malacca...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malacca#History

I took an early bus in the morning and returned to KL in the evening for the night train north to Penang.

Malacca was full of Chinese tourists, but was nice quaint place compact enough to walk around on foot with some great art along the canal and of course some interesting food. 

Nasi Lemak to go - the breakfast of Malaysia, sold outside subway and bus stations
and often sold wrapped in up in big green leaves in a triangular shape
(similar to triangle Kimbap in Korea)


It contains rice, a little chicken (optional), some peanuts, dried fish and veg

Kickapoo - great name

I miss these Coconut biscuits
Malacca...






Yum


Manchester United get everywhere
Dessert Malaysian style - Cendol



























St. Paul's Church





Dutch fort remains


Inside St. Paul's - full of old tombstones



Haha

Cendol - very refreshing

The small restaurant selling Cendol was covered in Coke Cans

Otak-Otak - steamed fishcake
Chicken claw soup with mushrooms

Look at that lovely claw


....




All the murals reminded me of Londonderry in Northern Ireland


After getting back from Malacca I took the 8 hour night train up the west coast to the state of Penang to spend a few days in George Town and the see the island it's on. 

Greasy Chinese buffet dinner

Not much to see on the night train but much more comfortable
than the bus!